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and some are so similar that capture and examination with a hand lens may be necessary to clinch a identification.\u00a0\u00a0 Paulson\u2019s book provides the guidance you will need to become proficient odonatologist.<\/p>\nI contend that birders today are better overall naturalists than birders 20 years ago.\u00a0 Birders today are often proficient at identifying dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies that go whizzing by as we have our binoculars at the ready.\u00a0 A plethora of field guides to various insect groups has facilitated this welcome growth in the expertise of birders in other groups of animals.\u00a0 Butterflies through the Binoculars and Dragonflies of the Binoculars played the role of the first Peterson guide, opening up new challenges for field identification.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s columns, I want to review three remarkable guides to three groups of insects.\u00a0 All of these books are published by Princeton University Press, a press with a strong dedication to books on natural history.<\/p>\n
The first is Dragonflies and Damselflies of the the East by Dennis Paulson.\u00a0 This guide covers all 336 species of the order Odonata found in eastern North America.\u00a0 Maine has 158 species of odonates: 47 damselflies and 111 dragonflies.<\/p>\n
Like most field guides, the Paulson guide begins with a brief overview of odonate biology and then covers the morphological features that are used in field identification.<\/p>\n
The bulk of the book is the species accounts.\u00a0 Paulson provides a map, at least one color photograph and text giving a description of each species, the features used for identification, habitat, and flight season.<\/p>\n
Field identification of some odonates is easy.\u00a0 The Widow Skimmer and Twelve-Spotted Skimmer can be recognized with the naked eye.\u00a0 Others require a closer look through binoculars and some are so similar that capture and examination with a hand lens may be necessary to clinch a identification.\u00a0\u00a0 Paulson\u2019s book provides the guidance you will need to become proficient odonatologist.<\/p>\n
If 158 species of odonates seem overwhelming, how about bumble bees?\u00a0 Paul Williams and colleagues have written a guide called Bumble Bees of North America.\u00a0 Bumble bees are common insects but not that diverse.\u00a0 Only 46 species are found in North America and only 20 in Maine.<\/p>\n
The authors provide a nice overview of bumble bee biology in the first part of the book.\u00a0 The life cycle of cuckoo bumble bees is particularly fascinating.\u00a0 Like their namesakes, cuckoo bumble bees dupe other species of bumble bees into providing for their own young.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Each species is discussed in turn with a list of hand characteristics (most of which can be easily discerned from a photograph) and microscopic characteristics.\u00a0 A range map and photographs are provided.\u00a0 The abdomen banding is important in identification and can vary among queens, workers and males.\u00a0 A clever diagram showing the range of variation for each type is very useful.<\/p>\n